Sunday, August 14, 2011

Outlines on Mark’s Gospel

Lesson 1. How It All Began Mark 1:1

The Gospel of Mark (as narrated to Mark by the apostle Peter) is very modern in its style. It speaks to us of the breaking in of a whole new reality into a world that had become unreal.

The Matrix movies speak of a similar thing: the world as we know it is not the real world, and Neo (the “new” man) is given a new vision of what the world really looks like, and it is not good! Neo’s real world is not the day to day city life that he had grown up with, it was in fact a dream inculcated by machines that kept humans suppressed and narcotised in bubbles as the machines consumed their vital energies. Neo emerges to confront this whole new world.

In a similar manner the Beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the son of God, signals the breaking into our lost and confused sinful world of one who is unrivalled in His power and authority and who can set straight all that is broken in us and in our world. This Person who now breaks into our world and is Announced, Annointed and Approved to be the Son of God.

Announced

Jesus is displayed as the son of God by Prophetic Predictions:

As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, “Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way, 3the voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight”

Jesus is displayed as the son of God by Historic Pronouncements:

John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

6 Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

John was the forerunner or herald for Jesus.

John understood who he was and what he was supposed to do.

Annointed

Jesus’ purpose as the Son of God is Displayed by His Human Identification

9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.

10 And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

Jesus’ purpose as the Son of God is Displayed by His Heavenly Consecration

Approved

Jesus’ power as the Son of God is Displayed by His testing in the wilderness

12The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him.

Jesus’ power as the Son of God is Displayed by His command to the world.

14Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God,

“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

What keeps you from obeying Him?

Are you Unconcerned?

Are you Unbelieving?

Lesson 2. Mark 1:14-20

14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” 16 Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 17 And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” 18 And immediately they left their nets and followed him. 19 And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. 20 And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.

The Jesus boat in Galilee

This is the sort of boat (some think perhaps even the same boat) that Jesus and his disciples used by the Sea of Galilee.

Jesus Knows Who You Are

(Fishermen and Failures)

And Offers You Fellowship

Jesus Knows Where You Are

(Family, firm securities, your planned future)

And He Offers to Take You Where He Is

Luke 9:23 "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.”

Jesus Knows What You Are Doing

(Fortune Fame Power Pleasure)

Ecclesiastes 1:1-2:1-11 Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher, "Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.“ What advantage does man have in all his work Which he does under the sun?

And Invites You To Take Part In What He Is Doing.

1 In pairs, imagine you are to recruit four friends to join you in tidying and rebuilding a play area in your town that has been vandalised.

• Which four people would you choose?

• What qualities would you look for in your helpers?

Explain why you have chosen these four.

2 Who are these first four to follow Jesus?

3 What was their job before he took them away?

4 What were his words to them?

5 What do you think it was about Jesus that made them join him?

6 In groups of three, role-play an interview between a reporter, Simon and Andrew. They are leaving town to work with Jesus.

Lesson 3 Jesus’ Immediate Authority Over Your Life Mark 1:21-45

"For the great enemy of truth is very often not the lie --deliberate, contrived and dishonest --but the myth --persistent, persuasive, and unrealistic," President John F. Kennedy told the 1962 graduating class of Yale University.

The myth has arisen that you could meet Jesus and yet be unchanged

Capernaum by the Sea of Galilee

Have you experienced Jesus’ authority to teach?

Have you experienced Jesus’ authority to deliver?

Have you experienced Jesus’ authority to heal?

Have you experienced Jesus’ authority in your life?

Lesson 4. Mark 2:1 You Need To Be Forgiven

Guilt shatters the personality

Guilt paralyzes the body.

Guilt paralyzes the human spirit

Guilt paralyzes the relationships marriage

He Can Forgive

Not what these hands have done Can save this guilty soul;

Not what this toiling flesh has borne Can make my spirit whole.

Not the labor of my hands Can fulfill Thy law’s demands;

Could my zeal no respite know, Could my tears forever flow,

All for sin could not atone; Thou must save, and Thou alone.

Nothing in my hand I bring, Simply to the cross I cling;

Naked, come to Thee for dress; Helpless look to Thee for grace;

Foul, I to the fountain fly; Wash me, Savior, or I die.

I. He Releases the Sinner (Aphiemi)

II. He Announces the Sinner Released!

–The Accusation

–The Answer

–The Act

–The Acknowledgement

III. He Receives the Sinner

Lesson 5 Mark 2 and 3 Upsetting The Applecart

Real Christianity Annoys The Religious

Religion Brings A Funeral Jesus Brings A Feast

19And Jesus said to them, "Can the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast.

Religion Brings A Burden Jesus Brings A Blessing

24And the Pharisees said to Him, "Look, why do they do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?“ 25But He said to them, "Have you never read what David did when he was in need and hungry, he and those with him:

27"The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. 28Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath

•The Laws Of The Sabbath •The Limits Of The Sabbath

Matthew 12 6Yet I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the temple.

7But if you had known what this means, 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice, 'you would not have condemned the guiltless.

11 Then He said to them, "What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift It out? 12 Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath."

Real Christianity Annoys The Rebel

The LORD Of The Sabbath is

•Greater than the Temple

•Lord Of The Sabbath

Religion Brings Barrenness Jesus Brings Bounty

4Then He said to them, "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?" But they kept silent. And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." And he stretched itout, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.

Joy

•For Pardon from God

•For Power For God

•For Presence Of God

•For Purpose For Life

Lesson 6. The Unforgivable Sin

Mark 3

They sinned against redemption.

They sinned against reason.

–Isaiah 1:18

They sinned against revelation

(1) Satan is strong, but Jesus is stronger!

27 But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house.

John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

“The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work…the one who is in

you is greater than the one who is in the world.” (1 John 3:8, 4:4)

(2) It’s impossible to be neutral about Jesus

25And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.

(3) God graciously forgives every sin except one

28“Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter,

(4) The only unforgivable sin is finally saying, “NO” to the Holy Spirit’s call to repent and be saved

29but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”—

The Unforgiveable Sin

The deceiving power of this sin.

The deadening power of this sin.

Hebrews 3: 7,8

The damning power of this sin.

Hebrews 6:4-6

Lesson 7 Definitely Converted? or Deceptively Close? Mark 4:1-20

soil types

The Definitely Converted

Mar 4:8 "Other seeds fell into the good soil, and as they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold."

A Committed Mind

Root

Shoot

Fruit

The Deceptively Close

Matthew 7: 21“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

15And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them.

A Closed Mind

No Root

No Shoot

No Fruit

A Cloudy Mind

Little Root

Some Shoot

No Fruit

thorny ground

And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away.

A Cluttered Mind

Root

Shoot

No Fruit

18 And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word,

19but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.

Mark 4:7 "Other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it yielded no crop.”

“But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”

•The seed is the Word

•Hear it

•Receive it

•Rejoice in it, (meditate on it, chew it over, apply it to yourself)

•Reproduce it

Lesson 8 Mark 4 :35 What You Can Learn In A Storm

35 On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” 36 And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. 37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. 38 But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” 39 And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40 He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” 41 And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

God’s Purpose Includes Storms

35 On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side."

God’s Purpose Includes Stretching

38 But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow

God’s Purpose Includes Stupidity

"Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?"

God’s Purpose Includes Surprises

Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace, be still!"And the wind ceased and there was a great calm

God’s Purpose Includes Strengthening

40 But He said to them, "Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?"

God’s Purpose Includes Shuddering

"Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!"And they feared exceedingly,

Lesson 9 What Are You Doing With Jesus? Mark 5:1-20

Decapolis literally means The Ten Cities

With the conquests of Alexander the Great (300BC) there had been a Greek penetration into Palestine and Syria.

Semi-independence down until the time of the Maccabees(200BC -63BC)

Greek styled cities, inhabited by Jews and Gentiles

There Was Disorder in This Community

•A Miserable Soul

Demon-possessed

Demented

Defeated

Dead

•Some Miserly Souls

There Was The Display Of Christ

•An Adequate Saviour

•An Authoritative Saviour

–Changes us

–Controls us

There Was TheDismissalOf Christ

· An Inexcusable Tragedy

–“Don’t Disturb My Comfort”

–“Don’t Disturb My Possessions”

· An Inescapable Testimony

–Converted

–Called

–Commissioned

Lesson 11 Walking on the Water. Mark 6:45-56

45 Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. 46 And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray. 47 And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land. 48 And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them, 49 but when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out, 50 for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” 51 And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, 52 for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened. 53 When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored to the shore. 54 And when they got out of the boat, the people immediately recognized him 55 and ran about the whole region and began to bring the sick people on their beds to wherever they heard he was. 56 And wherever he came, in villages, cities, or countryside, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and implored him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well.

A friend had the opportunity to take a great holiday yachting around the WhitSunday islands in Queensland. As often happens to my friend, he was there for the unexpected and momentous event of a cyclone. At first the captain of the vessel headed out to sea to attempt to ride out the storm (as on Gilligan’s island), and later decided that it was way too dangerous for their small catamaran, so he sought anchorage in a small creek on an island. The yachties (who were not yachties at all, just holidaymakers) secured their vessel by 6 ropes to mangrove trees on opposite sides of the bank, ensuring that their boat would not be able to move in any direction whichever way the wind would be blowing upon them. When life becomes tumultuous, when sorrows and tragedies blow into our lives, then we need some good anchor points to hold our life in place.

The Lord Jesus has given us those six anchor points in this passage of Mark’s gospel.

When you are blown about by storms in life you can always have:

God’s Providence to Govern You

He made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side,

God’s Plan to Grow You

Rom 8:2828 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

The Scope of your growth “in all these things” “all things”

The Source of your growth “through Him who loved us”

Christ’s Prayer’s to Grace You

46 And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray. 47 And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land. 48 And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them.

Christ’s Presence to Gladden you

And about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them,

God’s Power to Guard You

He meant to pass by them, 49 but when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out, 50 for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” 51 And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded,

God’s Purpose to Guide You

53 When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored to the shore. 54 And when they got out of the boat, the people immediately recognized him 55 and ran about the whole region and began to bring the sick people on their beds to wherever they heard he was. 56 And wherever he came, in villages, cities, or countryside, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and implored him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well.